What’s in a name? When it comes to domain names, a great URL can make or break your business. When you are launching a new website for your company, selecting the best name with regards to branding and SEO (search engine optimization) should be key factors in your decision making process. You are making an investment in your business and your domain name should be a considerable part of that investment.
Why Branding is Important
Any marketing or graphic design professional will tell you that having a consistent brand for your business is essential. Your product or service is unique and the name of the product or services you offer should reflect that. Choose something easy to remember and relevant to your business philosophy or products. Then, be consistent with that name throughout all of your marketing materials, from business cards to websites, including the domain name.
Why SEO is Important
Another factor to consider when establishing your domain name for your website, is SEO or Search Engine Optimization. The words you use in your domain name should be searchable by Google and other search engines. Everspark Interactive, an SEO firm in Atlanta, advises that the world of search engine optimization is ever-evolving, yet very powerful. Using optimization will help to make it as easy as possible for consumers to find you on the web.
If you sell bicycles, for example, you may want the word “bicycle” or “bike” in your domain name. That way, when a potential customer is searching for a new bicycle and types “bicycle stores” into the Google search box, your business will appear on the first page of search results. That’s the goal, anyway – to drive traffic to your site – which means more business for you.
Keep it Simple
Business owners love to get creative with domain names and there is nothing wrong with that, unless your attempt at creativity prevents people from easily finding you. For instance, don’t change the spelling of words everyone knows just to make it different. If you are a coffee shop, selecting “Koffee Korner” as your domain name may not be the best option.
What happens when potential customers are typing “coffee shops” into their search engine and your name isn’t spelled correctly so the search engine can find you? The answer is simple: If the search engine can’t locate you, your customers probably can’t either. Choose a domain name that is simple and memorable instead of one that confuses people or is hard to remember that unique spelling.
Remember that when you are launching a website, you are making an investment in your business. Choose wisely for longevity and consistency with your current branding. Making it easy for people to find you on the web could be the missing puzzle piece that doubles your investment in the long run.
Melanie Fleury is a freelance blogger and knows how important it is to have a good plan for your website in order to achieve better rankings. An SEO company, like Everspark Interactive, can help create a great strategy that will send more traffic to your site. Without an SEO plan, ranking high on the search engines is a near impossibility.